>> hello. welcome to the "journal," live from dw in berlin. >> is what is coming up. more french troops arrived in mali as the rebels began a counterattack. >> germany's of the makers look beyond europe to increase sales -- germany's auto makers look beyond europe to increase sales. >> will golden globe -- the golden globe event. austria leaves its mark on the industry.

militant islamist fighters have launched a counter offensive in mali as forces moved closer to the capital. french air strikes on the northern strongholds have had little effect with the rebels seizing the central town of diabaly. >> france has poured hundreds of troops into the town. the leader has promised reprises attacks against leaders in mali, africa, and europe. >> france's and intervention in mali is raising questions -- france's sudden intervention in diabaly is raising questions. -- in mali is raising questions. >> how can we help our french neighbor and friend with

logistical, political, humanitarian, or medical assistance? >> the french are trying to shore up mali's embattled armed forces, which have been in disarray since last year's coup. the rebels imposed sharia law and are suspected of links to the bolkiah -- to al qaeda. german opposition parties are calling for better coordination within the european union. >> when we say that what france has started is a step in the right direction, that does not mean we will just jump in. it must mean that we way what makes sense and what contribution germany could actually make. >> the french soldiers expect to be joined by soldiers from neighboring west african countries. britain and the u.s. are offering logistical support.

>> and canada has promised france air transport. there will be a meeting this week to discuss the crisis. i asked our brussels correspondent what sort of support france could expect from other eu member states. >> eu representatives have formally ruled out the option of military intervention. the most likely outcome will be that we will find out more about the training mission that is planned, where the eu plans to train malian soldiers to combat on the ground. it is an issue that african soldiers will have to deal with. the eu does not want to get involved too much. we will find out more about the training mission. >> are there any dissenters?

this is a job for nato -- and who are saying this is a job for nato? >> nato can only intervene if france formally request aid, and it has not done so. this is a job that has to be done by the ecowas, by the west african soldiers on the ground come together with mali -- on the ground, mali together withan soldier -- on the ground, together with malian soldiers. it was an action taken by an individual member state, i.e., france. the member states say they will support friends, but they will not get their boots on the ground. >> thanks for that. islamist militants in somalia say they killed the second french soldier in a failed

operation by paris to free a kidnapped intelligence officer. >> france says he was killed during the operation. photographs thought to be marking what is a dead body of a soldier were posted on line by ashgabat -- al-shabab. the man was captured in 2009. germany's biggest car maker, volkswagen, sold more cars last year than ever before. the news comes as the detroit auto show opens its doors. >> car makers are pinning their hopes on the global and american markets. >> it it is the show no automaker can afford to miss. all the big players have gathered in detroit with their latest offerings. volkswagen is europe's largest carmaker. it has set itself an ambitious goal, to become the world's

number 15 years from now. -- or number one five -- world number one five yeras from -- years from now. >> we have a large growth market. that means we are quite able offset the losses we are seeing in europe at the moment. >> the u.s. is the world's biggest market for new cars, followed closely by china, which has made up a lot of ground in recent years. europe is there, but the market is in crisis and sales have been falling since last year -- europe is third, but the market is in crisis and sales have been falling since last year. mercedes is hoping to wow the crowds in detroit with the world premiere of its new e-class line. >> we are optimistic. we have a whole raft of new products and the u.s. market is dynamic. we think the signs are clearly pointing to growth.

>> the crisis in the u.s. car market is a thing of the past. americans are buying more cars again. experts are predicting more than 6% increase again this year. >> while some german car wreck -- car makers are racking up record, so is beijing, but for the wrong reasons. >> more cars means more pollution. smog in the capital of beijing has never been this bad. >> beijing authorities ordered government fleets to cut back on driving, but that has had no noticeable effect on the city's dense traffic. no restrictions have been placed on privately-owned cars. instead, residents are being urged to stay home and wear face masks if they must go out. >> i have trouble breathing. today is actually better. we live on the side of the city where the smog is worst. when i open the window, i could not see clearly. visibility was very low. i worry about my family, especially those who drive.

>> there are so many charges that -- cars that discharge so much exhaust. it will be better if the government could take control of the pollution. >> levels of particulate matter in the air have come down since the weekend, but remain around 30 times higher than the maximum safe level recommended by the world health organization. authorities blamed the weather. they say wind should pick up by mid week and bring some relief to the chinese capital. >> the u.s.-based parcel service coming u.s. ps, says it is dropping its bid for the dutch delivery firm -- u.s.-based parcel service, usps, says it is dropping its bid for the- delivery firm, tn -- the dutch delivery firm, tnt. the value of tnt shraes --

shares halved on the news. >> let's check on the today's trading action. we have this report from frankfurt. >> investors on the frankfurt floor especially like the record high car sales that vw reported today -, so rising car shares have been the motor for the dax. early on, some profit taking started on wall street, dragging down share prices, and investors seem to be very cautious these days. the earnings season in germany has not started off yet. investors are waiting for the numbers and the outlooks of german companies that could be better than people expected. >> let's look closer at the market numbers. it was a mixed bag.

the dax slightly ekes out a gain, about 2/10 of 1%. the euro stoxx 50 was lower. the dow jones industrial average is treading water at 13,509. the euro is dire 0-- higher. the german social democrats are hoping to turn around their falling support in opinion polls by announcing a plan to crack down on income tax evasion by higher earners. the party is planning to make the issue a top campaign topic in the national elections that are taking place letter -- later this year. >> they have been meeting and they and build that plant, which even some inside the party say will not raise -- been meeting and they unveiled that plan, which even some inside the party say will not raise support. >> the social democrat

challenger for chancellor says this must stop. >> if the vast majority of german taxpayers feel as if they are the stupid ones for being honest about paying taxes, it begs the question how just is the system in this country. >> the social democrats are calling for a number of measures, including rescinding the licenses of banks accused of systematically helping tax dodgers. they want to create a central authority to investigate tax fraud and harmonize procedures across the federal states. they also want to extend the statute of limitations on tax crimes. they want to improve coordination in europe when it comes to issues like exchanging information. angela merkel's christian democrats have criticized the proposals saying they won't work, and accusing the other party of electioneering. the most of what has been suggested is nonsense. -- >> most of what has been suggested is nonsense.

>> the spd back to the policy of state government buying cd's. they managed to retrieve millions in lost tax revenues. >> now to an austrian actor who only shot to stardom just a few years ago. thanks to director 1 quentin tarantino, he accepted a golden globes. >> he wowed audiences. >> it was the second global blow -- golden globe for christoph waltz. he knew who to thank. >> my indebtedness to you knows

no bounds. >> in "django unchained," he plays a bounty hunter who freeze a slave, intending to make him his partner on the road -- who frees a slave, intending to make him his partner on the road. >> and arnold schwarzenegger handed out this award. >> i never thought it handed an award in hollywood by an austrian. >> "amour" tells the moving story of a married couple in paris, both retired music teachers. when she has a heart attack one day, their love is severely tested. [applause] the biggest surprise of the night came when the front- runner, "lincoln," lost out to

ben affleck's "argo." it tells of how six american diplomats were rescued from tehran. actress jodie foster was honored in a lifetime achievement award -- with a lifetime achievement award. in a moving speech, she confirmed long-running speculation that she is gay. this year marty award's 70th anniversary. the golden globes are thought to be a key -- this year marked the awward's 70th anniversary. the golden globes are thought to be a key indicator of the oscars. >> there were no upsets in the first round of the australian open. >> all of the top seeds have progressed. novak djokovic beat paul henri- mathieu. maria sharapova needed under an hour to dispatch puchkova.

>> we are going to a short break. when we come back, the tunisian state auctions off the dictators luted wealth -- looted we alth.

>> thanks for staying with us. >> welcome back. to india, where five men charged with king raping a student who later died have -- with ganggrapin -- gang-raping a student who later died have appeared in court. >> police arrested another five men for allegedly abducting and raping a 29-year-old woman in punjab. more rape cases are now coming to light every day in india. >> the incident in delhi has galvanized public opinion. growing numbers of people have

been demonstrating to end a pervasive and tolerated violence against women. >> young indians are now outraged and taking a stand by color -- by challenging cultural conditions that allow abuse of women without accountability. >> she is determined to make her voice heard. together with her fellow students, she is calling for an end to rape and discrimination against women. they say they will continue to defend themselves, whatever it takes. young people in india are angry, and not just in the capital of delhi. the rapes have sparked a wave of protests across the country. this is a ph.d. student. she and her friends were among the first to take to the streets.

they now hold regular demonstrations. >> we want freedom, freedom from oppressive families, fathers, brothers. [chanting in foreign language] >> they chang "long -- chant "long live the struggle." "down with the hatred of women." the students are protesting against what they say is a failure of the police, politics, and the justice system. >> we want to tell this government that we will can -- that we can wear what we like. instead of telling us how not to get dressed, please tell the men in our society not to rape.

this is our message. >> especially the youngsters should unite together about the state of the -- about what happened. this is an issue. we're not want to tolerate any more of this. -- we are not going to tolerate any more of this. >> the students say they are living in constant fear and are viewed as many -- viewed by many men as their game. -- fair game. they say they are routinely subjected to sexual harassment. >> i feel very insecure. i cannot go out alone at night. if i -- i am looked at a

particular way. >> the young people also furious at the response to the ribs by some politicians and religious victories -- to the rapes by some politicians and religious figures. they say it is the woman's fault. one former civil servant on the sidelines of the demonstrations expresses a view of women, and in indian society. -- view of women common in indian society. >> why do women have to wear tight jeans? women's clothing should be modest. it should be like a burr, -- the burkha. it is modest. >> such attitudes are fueling

their outrage. she says something has to change and they have to fight against such attitudes. they light candles as a sign of resistance. >> pakistan has dismissed the provincial government in balochistan in response to the bombings that claimed the lives of 80 people. >> in the provincial capital of quetta, they have begun burying victims. they had refused to bury the dead to express their anger with the local government. the prime minister agreed to put the province under central federal control. >> the going abroad has always been a distant dream for most cubans, until now. starting monday, a new law promises the island's citizens more freedom of travel. >> it reverses restrictions imposed by the communist

government more than five decades ago. travelers will be allowed to leave the country without any special exit visa and they will not need a foreign letter of invitation from their destination. now just a passport is enough, and an entry visa. in a moment, our report on an auction taking place in geneva of -- tunisia. >> first, a look at some other stories making news. >> new clashes have been reported around the syrian capital of damascus. this video is said to show fighting in a suburb. the army claims to have taken it from rebels. about 50 countries are calling for perpetrators of war crimes committed in syria to be held accountable by the international criminal court in the hague. >> the un's human rights chief, navi pillay, once an international investigation into human rights abuses in north korea. she says there is evidence of

rape and a slave laborer at prison camps. she says there has been no improvement since kim jong un took power. >> at least 30 homes have been destroyed in new south wales in australia as searing heat continues to stock wild fires across the east of the country. austrian authorities described the blaze as the most ferocious they have seen in years. the country's top observatory escaped without any major damage. >> thousands of two nations have joined protests against the government -- of tunisians have joined a protest against the government. >> about 8000 demonstrators gathered outside of the interior ministry in the capital of tunis. they are unhappy about high unemployment and the government's failure to restore security.

it has -- it started back in 2010. tunisia is auctioning off the expensive knickknacks and personal items the ben ali clan looted from the nation over the years. >> tunisians have been flocking to get a glimpse of the private life of the autocrat who fled to saudi arabia in 2011. >> among the items going under the hammer are dozens of flashy, expensive automobiles, diamond necklaces, and a pair of golden sphinxes. the government hopes to alleviate the suffering of the country's worst off. >> there are dozens of cars, expensive jewelry as far as the eye can see. as well as valuable antiques. this was once the property of zine el abidine ben ali and his clan.

it was recovered from his palaces after his ousting, and now it is being auctioned off. the government hopes to raise 10 million euros. >> all the proceeds will go into state coffers. the money will be invested in infrastructure projects in poor areas to improve the living conditions of residents. >> many of the buyers are expected to come from overseas, but some could be tunisians who grew rich under ben ali's rule. it is a sobering thought. >> it is ridiculous. who cares about ben ali's riches? his real legacy is the remaining structures of the old regime, with his old cronies and corrupt businessmen. what we really need is a guarantee for our rights. we don't want leaders to act like the old dictator. we need politicians who really

serve the people. >> in a suburb outside of the capital, tunis, this woman is barely scraping by. her husband is ill. they have to survive on 50 euros per month provided by the government. it is not enough to live on. >> on the anniversary of the revolution, we have nothing to eat and no money in our pockets. >> our situation is very bad. we're completely dependent on others. i am sick. i have no work, no money. >> two years after the jasmine revolution, you feel like celebrating. the economy is contracting -- few feel like celebrating. the economy is contracting. the unemployment rate is higher than before ben ali's ousting. >> it is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. millions of indians have bates together in the ganges to mark the start of the -- have bathed together in the ganges to mark

the start of the maha kumbh mela religious festival. >> environmentalists have warned before that the ganges is heavily polluted. some 110 million people are expected to take part in the religious festival, which runs until mid-march. that is all for now. remember, you can find out more about these and other stories at our website, www.dw.de. >> thank you for watching. see you next time. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--